Ifa Lecture Monograph

Grade: Foundation
Module: 31
Topic: Emi
Contents
Parts and Functions of Emi
Continued…

MOTTO: Exploring the Treasures of Ifa

Endorsed by: International Council For Ifa Religion
Strictly for IITI students only
Module 31
Parts and functions of Emi continued…

1. Awo (the skin)–The thin layer of tissue forming the outer covering of
the body. The skin is a protective membrane for the body of humans,
animals, trees, etc. The skin of a tree for example is its bark. Without
the skin, the whole body would be prone to all forms of attack,
infection or injury.

This Awo (skin) also has a particular characteristic called Awo.

Though it is spelt the same way, it has a different pronunciation,
accents and meaning. It refers to the colour by which the skin is
known. In ordinary parlance, it is called complexion or skin texture.

It also gives humans, animals, trees, etc the identity for which they
are known. With Awo (complexion), we are able to identify different
races in the world. In Yoruba language, we hear of al’awo dudu,
black/dark complexioned/coloured person; al’awo funfun, white/light
complexioned/coloured person; al’awo pupa, red complexion/colour,
al’awo tutu, fresh or radiant colour referring to someone young and
vibrant, al’awo pupa resuresu pink or crimson; al’awo ewe, green
colour, and so on.

In Ifa, we are made to understand that this skin characteristic, Awo

(complexion), plays a vital role in the proper functioning of the body.
The skin is just an ordinary membrane as we have said earlier but its
colour is what really matters because a lot of information can be
gathered from the texture or complexion of the body. For example,
the health condition of a person can easily be known from the
appearance of either the colour or texture of the skin of such a
person. Any disease afflicting the body is easily shown by the skin
colour and can sometimes change it from its original/pleasant colour
to an unpleasant or ugly one.

In Eji Ogbe, we are made to understand how Awo (the skin) went to
complain to Olodumare that the disease that Eje (the blood) had
brought into the body was affecting it badly. It was after this, that
Olodumare prescribed for Awo (the skin) what to use to combat the
disease troubling it. The stanza states thus:

Eyo fo

Eda geere

Nijo a b’ara la b’eje

Ara pelu eje la bi

Nijo ti won nt’orun bo wa’de aye

Awo l’ohun o gb’arun

Eje naa l’ohun o gb’arun

Eje nikan lo waa gb’arun

Arun ti eje gba wa nda Awo l’aamu

Awo wa to Olodumare lo
 Olodumare ni kilo de?

O ni arun ti eje gba nda oun l’aamu

Olodumare ni ko maa to Eji Ogbe lo l’Oke Igeti

Eji Ogbe ni ki o lo ree toju Obu

O ni ko toju Asunwon

O ni ko toju Etu

O ni ko toju Ataare

O ni Obu l’ohun o fi bu arun naa kuro

O ni Ataare l’ohun o fi taarii re da si’le

O ni Etu l’ohun o fi tu arun naa da si’le

O ni Asunwon lo ni k’arun naa o ma sun l’aree re

O ni Eji Ogbe ni yoo gbe kuro l’araa re

Translation

Eyo fo

And Eda geere

Ara (the body) and Eje (the blood) were born on the same day

Ara and Eje were born together

When they were coming from heaven to earth

Awo (the skin) wanted to accommodate Ailment

Eje (the blood) also wanted to accommodate Ailment

Only Eje ended up accommodating Ailment

Ailment, which Eje had accommodated, began to trouble Awo

(the skin)
 Awo later went to Olodumare

Olodumare asked Eje what had happened

Eje responded that Ailment, which Eje had accommodated, was

giving her problems

Olodumare asked Eje to go to Eji Ogbe at Oke Igeti

Eji Ogbe asked her to go and procure salt rock

To procure Asunwon leaves

T procure gun powder

And to procure Ataare

He declared that he would use the salt rock to scrape off

Ailment

And use the Ataare to push out Ailment

And use the gun powder to remove Ailment

He declared that Asunwon was it that ordered that Ailment must

never reside with her any longer

And that Eji Ogbe would be used to send Ailment packing from
her body

In another stanza from Owonrin w’ofun (Owonrin–Ofun), the colour and

texture of the skin and the need to properly take care of it and maintain its
colour and freshness are emphasized. The stanza states thus:

Owonrin wo’fun w’edo

Awon Ode lo dia fun Ode

Ode nre ‘gbo’je oun eluju ‘je

Ebo ni won ni ko waa se

O gb’ebo, o ru’bo

Kinni Olu-Ode fi mu awo de’le

Ogun isuko

Oji ewura

Aadota ikokoro

L’Olu-Ode fi m’awo de’le

Awo ma de o, omo Yeye ara

Translation

Owonrin who looks at both the intestines and the liver

The Awo of the Hunter, He was the one who cast Ifa for the Hunter
When going to seven forests and seven wildernesses
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
What did Ode use to bring Awo (the skin colour) back home?
Twenty yams
Forty water yams
And 50 yam seedlings
These were the items which the Head Hunter used to bring (radiant)
skin colour back home
Awo (the skin colour), the sibling of the body
In this Odu, Ifa says that Awo (the skin) is a sibling of the body. This
underlines the closeness of both Awo (the skin) and Ara (the body). If one
gives one’s body good maintenance, the first place that it will appear for all
to see and evaluate is in Awo (the skin).

The most important aspect for the maintenance of good skin texture and
colour is good food. The food being taken into the body through the mouth
is processed in the stomach and the active ingredients that are meant for
the maintenance of skin colour are extracted and sent to the blood stream.
These automatically permeate through and nourish the skin. This is why we
need to be careful with what goes into the body through the mouth and all
other organs of the body.

Sometimes, we try to enhance the beauty or colour of our skin through the
application of chemical body creams, lotions, or through
scarification/tattoos all in the name of body treatment, toning, or
adornment. Unfortunately, these types of actions sometimes cause, to a
large extent, damages to our skin and colour. These damages in some
cases are irreparable and the person affected will not have any other
choice but to live with the damage forever. In Irete-Ofun, Ifa says:

Tan mi n tan o

Itantan meji ntan ‘raa won

Dia fun Orunmila

Ifa nlo te Afin nifa

Ebo ni won ni ko se
 O gbebo, o rubo

Nje nigba a te o lo dudu

Igba ti o wa we lo tun fin o

Translation

Deceive me and let me deceive you

Two deceivers are engaging in mutual self-deceit

This was Ifa’s message for Orunmila

When going to initiate Afin (the Albino) into Ifa

He was advised to offer ebo

He complied

When you were initiated, you assumed a dark complexion

But when you bathed, you returned to your white skin

2. Eran–flesh: The soft physical substance in the body consisting of the

muscles and fat. It is the aspect of the body that covers the bone but
itself is covered by the skin. The amount of flesh in the body
determines the weight of a person. It also gives support to the bones
in order to make the body firm and strong. It is inside the flesh that
the blood and other liquid substances flow. The flesh in conjunction
with the bone aids locomotion. We normally use the flesh and bone to
achieve both physical and spiritual functions.

It is noteworthy to know that every part of the human body must be

used according to the design which Olodumare created it for.
 Therefore, no part of the body must be misused or abused. We must
all live, act, and work in harmony with not only our bodies but we
must also strive to work in equilibrium with nature and all other life.

3. Omi Ara, body fluid/water: Body fluid takes up more than 75% of the
body parts. Approximately two thirds of a person’s body weight is
water. Blood contains about 92% water; the brain contains 75%
water; the muscles too contain 75% water. There is no part of the
body that does not make use of water. Some of the water is stored in
certain parts of the body for sustenance and productivity, while others
are passed out as waste after they have been used. The water
retained in the body includes: ito, saliva; ato, Sperm; ito, urine; omije,
tears; oogun, sweat and omi oyan, breast milk. The ones that are
passed out as waste include oogun, sweat; ito, urine. Just as water is
vital to all life, it is vital for the proper functioning of our body parts
and sustenance of life in our body.

These fluids not only have physical functions but have spiritual
significances as well. An example is Oogun (sweat), which is
regarded as moisture released outside the body through the pores of
the skin, especially as a reaction to heat, physical exertion, or
anxiety. It is released to cool the body down when there is a certain
level of heat in the body that may affect the proper functioning of the
body if not cooled down. It also connotes hard work or laborious
effort, and is also seen on the body when a person is in a state of
anxiety or distress. The word sweat is used informally in several
phrases such as by the sweat of one’s brow (hard labour); no
sweat (no difficulty/problem); sweat blood (make an extraordinary
effort; sweat bullets (be extremely nervous or anxious; sweat it out
(endurance or anxiety).

Spiritually, someone who has worked very hard to the extent of

bringing out sweat is difficult to cheat or take advantage of. The
Yoruba people believe that it is not advisable for one to “steal the
sweat” of another person because it can bring unpleasant
consequences. This means that cheating a person over what the
person has sweated to acquire will not go without negative
consequences.

Ito (saliva): another important substance is the watery liquid secreted

into the mouth by glands, providing lubrication for chewing and
swallowing, and aiding in digestion.

Ito (urine): Has the same spelling as saliva but has different
pronunciation and meaning. Ito (urine) is a pale yellowish fluid stored
in the bladder and discharged through the urethra, consisting of
excess water and waste substances removed from the blood by the
kidneys.

Ato (sperm) is the male reproductive fluid that is passed out of the
male sex organ during intercourse. The availability and viability of Ato
in the male organ signifies that one is able to procreate.

Ifá explains that in the body of a man, there are three water-like
substances, apart from blood. These are Itó, saliva; Ìtò, urine
(sweat is also part of urine); and Àtò, sperm. Only Àtò, sperm
however is capable of assisting in the process of reproduction. It
 is the only substance that can fertilize the female egg. Itó, saliva
cannot do it. Ìtò, urine cannot do it either.

In Òfún-Nara (Òfún-Ogbè), Ifá says:

Èlè ganngan

Babaláwo ItóL ló díá fún ItóL

WóLn ní kó rúbọ sí laìkú araa rèL

Èlè ganngan

Babaláwo ÌtòL ló díá fún ÌtòL

WóLn ní kó rúbọ sí laìkú araa rèL

Èlè ganngan

Babaláwo ÀtòL ló díá fún ÀtòL

WóLn ní kó rúbọ sí laìkú araa rèL

ÀtòL nìkan ní ńbẹ léLyìn tí nṣ’ẹbọ

Àtunù làá tu’tóL

ÀtòLnù làá t’ìtòL

ÀtòL nìkan ló gb’éLbọ ní’bèL ló ńd’ọmọ o

Translation

Ele ganngan, the strong cutlass (alias of a Babaláwo)

This was the Awo who cast Ifá for Itó, the Saliva

Saliva was advised to offer ebo so that he would not perish without
reproducing

Ele ganngan, the strong cutlass

He also cast Ifá for Ìtò, the Urine

Urine was also advised to offer ẹbọ so that he would not perish
without reproducing

Ele ganngan, the strong cutlass

He equally cast Ifá for Àtò, the Sperm

Ato was also advised to offer ebo so that he would not perish
without reproducing

Only Àtò, the Sperm complied

The spit saliva is a waste

The urinated urine is useless

Only Àtò, the Sperm, who offered ebo is able to reproduce and
become a new baby

This Odù Ifa explains that Itó, Ìtò and Àtò are members of the male
human body. They are all water-like substances which are produced
by the body and their names are homonymous. Out of these
substances, only Àtò the sperm is capable of fertilizing a woman’s
egg to produce a new born baby in order to perpetuate the human
race.

Omije (tear), is a drop of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in a

person's eye when they are crying or when the eye is irritated. This
liquid is also secreted when one is overwhelmed with joy.

Omi Oyan (breast milk) is the whitish fluid that is secreted after
birth from the two soft protruding organs on the upper front of a
woman's body called the breast. Breast milk is vital for the new
born because it helps the healthy growth of the baby.

To go further, Ifá also says that children who fed from their
mother’s milk will be naturally more kind hearted and will show a
greater sense of compassion towards their fellow human beings
than babies who have never tasted breast milk.

In Òbàrà Ìká, Ifá says:

Akínlọdún lọ sí ìlú ÌlóLdún

Ẹṣin ló mú lọ

Akínfálà lo s’ode Ìfàlà

Ẹṣin ló mú lọ

ÒLpèL sèLgìsèLgì lọ sílùú Màkunyun

Ẹṣin ló mú lọ

À t’ará ìlú Màkuyun

À t’ará ìlú Màpáàsà

Ẹdá ló ní kí ẹ dá’re t’èmi lé mi l’óLwóL

Àb’áàánú mi ò ṣe yín

Mo ṣe bí ohùn rere l’àkèré fi ńp’òjò

T’ Ólódùmarè ńgbá mú

Iyejú ẹni mu ọmú

Ẹ ṣ’àánú mì o

Àánú epo ni kìí jéL ká s’àkàrà nù

 Oyin o, màdò mẹyẹn

B’óLmọdé bá r’óyin a sàkàrà nù

Translation

Akínlọdún travelled to the town of ÌlóLdún

He rode a horse there

Akínfálà travelled to the town of Ìfàlà

He rode a horse there

Òpè sègìsègì (the robust palm tree) travelled to the town of

Màkunyun

He rode a horse there

Both inhabitants of Màkunyun

And inhabitants of Màpáàsà

It is the Edá (grey rat) that authorizes you to put all my Ire in
my hands

Don’t you have any sympathy for me?

It is with a sympathetic voice that the frog summons rainfall

which Olódùmarè upholds

All those who have ever tasted breast milk

Please take compassionate glance at me

The sympathy we have for palm-oil will not allow us to throw

away a bean cake

Honey, sweet and sticky

If a child sees honey, he will throw away the bean cake

 The importance of this Odù is that it tells us that anyone who has
ever tasted human breast milk will be naturally endowed with a
high sense of compassion more than those who have not tasted
breast milk at all.

There are however, some occasions where Ifá will warn against
giving the breast milk of the mother to a baby. The reason for this
is because the breast or its milk may be physically and or
spiritually contaminated. In a stanza from Ìká-Barà (Ìká-Òbàrà), Ifá
says:

Ìká ló gún’yán ni ò b’Olú

ỌlòLbàrà ló se’bèL ni ò b’ÀwòL

Igbá ègún ní ńbẹ l’óLrùn ỌòLni

Dìá fún ‘Yewa Òròrò

Èyí a bí’mọ má mà l’ómi l’óLmú

Ọmú tó rorò, ẹ má mà j’éL kó p’ọmọ jẹ

Translation

Ìká prepared pounded yam but failed to propitiate Olú

ÒLbàrà prepared soup but did not serve ÀwòL

The calabash of curses was on the neck of the ỌòLni

These were Ifá’s messages to ‘Yewa Òròrò

The one who gave birth to a baby but did not have breast
milk

Poisonous breast milk, please do not let it kill the baby

In a situation like this, the breast of the mother must be physically and
or spiritually cleansed and purified before it can be given to the baby
to suck. In the interim, a surrogate mother who is nursing at that
period can be contracted to breast-feed the baby, pending the time
the mother’s breast milk will be fit for consumption.

Those who lack the benefit of sucking a human’s breast milk are
physically, emotionally and spiritually at a disadvantage. A mother
who fails to breast feed her baby without any physical, spiritual or
physiological reason, has failed in her primary duty as dictated by
Olodumare.

4. Isan (veins): Any of the tubes by which blood is carried towards the
heart. Literally, Isan is also used to describe the nerves, which
biologically are said to be fibers that transmit impulses of sensation
between the brain, spinal cord, and other parts of the body. Nerves
are used to connote steadfastness, courage/boldness, or audacity.
Traditionally, Isan is used to describe the physical character of a
person. Someone with no Isan means that the person has no
resilience, no strength, or no endurance.

5. Eje (blood): A specialized bodily fluid in many life forms that delivers
necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and
transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells.
This is the red liquid circulating in the arteries and veins. It contains
about 92% of water.

Eje (blood) is regarded as life because as said above, it is the

essence of all life forms and it takes necessary nutrients to all parts of
the body.

All over the world, blood is very significant because of the basic use
of blood as a symbol for family relationships through birth/parentage;
to be "related by blood" is to be related by ancestry, rather than
marriage. This bears closely to bloodliness, and sayings such as
"blood is thicker than water" and "bad blood", as well as "Blood
brother". Blood is given particular emphasis in virtually all cultures
and religions.

Mythic references to blood can sometimes be connected to the life-

giving nature of blood seen in such events as childbirth, as contrasted
with the blood of injury or death.

In Ifa, Eje is also significant to life both physically and spiritually. It is

the essence of all living things. That is why animal blood is used for
most sacrifices and rituals. It is believed that when the blood of an
animal is dropped to the ground, all evils/negativities will vanish. In
Ifa, we often say “eje ba’le, irunbi a d’ero” which means “blood
touches the ground, all negativities subside”. But more importantly,
the blood should be accompanied with palm oil in order to
complement the efficacy of the ritual and also to calm down the
 negativities that are already poised to consume the blood. If this is
done, these evil spirits will consume the blood and palm-oil. As soon
as these spirits taste the palm oil, they will be calmed down rather
than looking for more blood to consume. Therefore, they will no
longer be interested in consuming blood.

In Eji Ogbe, Ifa says:

Ojumo mo, mo k’apo o temi deerekunde

Ojumo mo, mo k’apo temi deerekunde

Ojumo mo, mo k’apo o temi din-ininrinkunkun

Dia fun Orunmila

Ifa ns’awo lo Ode Isin

Ebo ni won ni ki won se

Won f’eti otun gb’ebo

Won fi t’osi daa nu

Ojumo mo, mo k’apo o temi deerekunde

Ojumo mo, mo k’apo temi deerekunde

Ojumo mo, mo k’apo o temi din-ininrinkunkun

Dia fun Orunmila

Ifa n’sawo lo Ode Ikija

Ebo ni won ni ki won se

Won f’eti otun gb’ebo

Won fi t’osi daa nu

 Ojumo mo, mo k’apo o temi deerekunde

Ojumo mo, mo k’apo temi deerekunde

Ojumo mo, mo k’apo o temi din-ininrinkunkun

Dia fun Orunmila

Baba ns’awo lo s’ode Otunmoba

Ebo ni won ni ki won se

Won gb’ebo won ru’bo

Ko pe ko jinna

Ire gbogbo way a de tuturu

Nje Otunmoba omo ajiwo sanra o

Iwo laa je yo o

Otunmoba omo ajiwo sanra

Translation

When the day dawned, I carried my consultation bag with all its
contents

When the day dawned, I carried my bag ready to go

When the day dawned, I carried my bag filled with all my needs for
my journey

These were Ifa’s declarations to Orunmila

When going on an Ifa mission to Isin town

He asked them to offer appropriate ebo

They heard the advice with their right ears

And threw it out with their left ears

 When the day dawned, I carried my consultation bag with all its
contents

When the day dawned, I carried my bag ready to go

When the day dawned, I carried my bag filled with all my needs for
my journey

These were Ifa’s declarations to Orunmila

When going on an Ifa mission to Ikija land

He asked them to offer appropriate ebo

They heard the advice with their right ears

And threw it out with their left ears

When the day dawned, I carried my consultation bag with all its
contents

When the day dawned, I carried my bag ready to go

When the day dawned, I carried my bag filled with all my needs for
my journey

These were Ifa’s declarations to Orunmila

When going on an Ifa mission to Otunmoba land

He asked them to offer appropriate ebo

They complied according to the advice given to them by Ifa

Before long, not too far

All the good things of life became theirs

On his arrival to Isin town, Orunmila met the citizens of that town. They
were taking a big goat to the home of a prominent Babalawo. “Where are
you all going?” Orunmila asked. “We were told that we need to serve Ifa
with this goat in order to alleviate all the problems in the town”, responded
the citizens of Isin town. “No!”, Orunmila shouted. “You must not do that. If
you do that, you will only aggravate your problems as the evil spirits which
you are trying to avoid will only grow wild and consume you all in the
process”. Orunmila explained further that if they spilled any blood, these
evil elementals would consume the blood and at the same time be
searching for more blood to consume. If these evil spirits were not able to
get any more blood, they would begin to consume their blood. Orunmila
pleaded with them not to slaughter the goat. “This is what we were asked to
do and nothing will change our minds,” the Citizens of Isin town retorted.
They even made jest of Orunmila for trying to mislead them. They then
continued straight to the home of their Babalawo and the goat was
slaughtered.

As soon as the goat was slaughtered the evil spirits began to consume its
blood. The evil spirits then went berserk searching for more blood to
consume. When they could not get any more blood, they began to
consume the blood of the citizens of Isin town. Things became worse.
Creditors became debtors. Those who were hitherto strong and healthy
became invalids, pregnant women lost their pregnancies. Most able-bodied
men and women became jobless. Life became unbearable for them in Isin
town. Orunmila then left the town.

As what had happened in Isin town, Orunmila went to the town of Ikija and
met the Citizens of Ikija town dragging a goat to the home of their
Babalawo. He asked what they were going to do with the goat. They
explained that they cast If; for overall well being and the Babalawo had
asked them to bring a goat for ebo. Orunmila also advised them not to kill
the goat and told them of the possible consequences if this was done. Just
like what happened in Isin town, the citizens of Ikija town slaughtered the
goat and many evil things began to happen to them. Their consequence
however was even worse than what had happened to the people in Isin
town. Orunmila also left the town.

When Orunmila arrived at Otunmoba town, he saw them with a big goat
which they had planned to slaughter in order for them to acquire all the
good things of life. Orunmila advised them against slaughtering it as he had
done in Isin town and Ikija town. He warned them of the possible
consequences for doing such a thing. “What should we do then?”, they
asked. He told them to go and cook 10 big pots of yam. When the yams
were sufficiently done, he asked them to mash them and add palm oil to
them. The pottage was mixed together. He advised them to sprinkle this
pottage on all the roads leading to the town and at their respective
doorsteps. They all complied.

When the evil spirits saw what they had prepared, they settled down to
consume it. After the consumption, they all lost their appetite for blood
consumption. It was only mashed yam and palm oil they were interested in
eating. Unable to find more, they left the scene.

As soon as the evil spirits departed, the good spirits responsible for all the
good things of life took over in the town. The inhabitants of Otunmoba
became wealthy. They were blessed with good spouses and children. Their
businesses grew well. They were very happy.
The following year, Orunmila came to Otunmoba town on a visit. When
they saw him they were all hailing him. He asked them; “How was the
situation been in your town since last year”? They replied,”Everything has
been very well with us; our lives have been very eventful. Our businesses
have grown well and we are all healthy and happy”. They then promised
that they would never do anything in that town without first preparing
mashed yam and palm-oil to appease the spirits. This is what they did and
continue to do in Otunmoba town from that time to date. They then began
to sing and dance, saying:

Otunmoba omo ajiwo sanra

Olotun o de o

Otunmoba omo ajiwo sanra

Translation

Citizens of Otunmoba, offspring of those who consume yam pottage

to put on weight

Here comes Olotun

Inhabitants of Otunmoba, offspring of those who consume yam

pottage to gain weight

That was how the inhabitants of Otunmoba town did themselves a world of
good by listening to the simple advice of Orunmila.

To continue, Eje is also used for making covenants as it is regarded as the

highest form of oath making. There are connotations of Eje depending on
its adjective. The connotations include:
I. Eje gbigbona – hot blood (jealous, quick tempered)
II. Eje riru – tempestuous blood (hypertension, temperamental)
III. Eje tutu – cool blood (young, fresh, cool headed, accommodating)
IV. Eje funfun – white blood (high spirituality, not easily cheated)
V. Eje dudu – black blood (prone to all ailments)
VI. Eje sisan – watery blood (not easily coagulated, lacks some
vitamins)
VII. Ko l’eje – lacks blood (sickly, pale looking)
VIII. Eje kikoro–bitter blood (immunity against spiritual attacks). This
aspect can be seen in a particular stanza from Owonrin-Sogbe
(Owonrin-Ogbe) where Ologeesa had to approach some
Babalawo for protection against the incessant attacks made on
him and his household by the elders of the night (witches). He was
advised to offer ebo and to prepare Ifa medicine with 200 leaves
from the Jogbo plant to be taken by all members of his household.
He complied and from then henceforth, his blood and that of his
family became a bitter pill to swallow by the witches. The stanza
goes thus:

Iduro gogo laa fi ohun Odo fun Odo

Ibere laa fi ohun olo fun olo

Esu peerejegede

Egba peerejede

Dia fun Ologeesa

 Ti yoo koro l’eje t’omo-t’omo

Ebo ni won ni ko se

O gb’ebo, o ru’bo

Nje eje oge ma koro

Ati j’igba ewe jogbo…

Translation

The mortar is given its dues in a standing position

While the grinding stone is given its dues in a squatting position

Esu peerejegede

Egba peerejede

This was the Ifa cast for Ologeesa

The one whose blood is bitter together with that of his offspring

He was advised to offer ebo

He complied

The blood of Oge (Ologeesa) is bitter

Because we have eaten 200 leaves of Jogbo leaves…

6. Boogo (bone marrow), according to a medical source, bone marrow

(Latin: medulla ossium) is the flexible tissue found in the interior of
bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood
cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body
 mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg (143 lbs), bone marrow
accounts for approximately 2.6 kg (5.7 lbs). The hematopoietic
compartment of bone marrow produces approximately 500 billion
blood cells per day, which use the bone marrow vasculature as a
conduit to the body's systemic circulation. Bone marrow is also a key
component of the lymphatic system, producing the lymphocytes that
support the body's immune system.

As it is, the bone marrow is very delicate. That is why Olodumare

situated it in a place where it could be given full protection. Being
inside, the bone marrow is provided the needed adequate protection
it needs. The bones on the other hand are protected by Ara, the body
flesh while the flesh is protected by Awo, the skin.

7. Eyin (the back), the rear surface of a person’s back from shoulders to
hips. The

back holds the spine that supports the body in order to make it erect.

Eyin in Ifa means the back of the physical body. It is also used to
mean past, after, behind, the-hereafter, consequence, and aftermath.
Whatever happens in the past is considered as Eyin. On the other
hand, whatever happens after an action is taken is also seen as the
Eyin of that action, which literally means consequence or aftermath.
That is, we hear of phrases like: Eyin Oro (outcome/consequence or
Eyin Ola (future).
 Also in Ifa, the past is that which guides the present in order to
achieve the future.

The word Eyin is always used in prayers especially when the children
are expected to survive their parents. In Ifa, we often hear the phrase
“Ada kii ri at’eyin ku”, meaning: a cutlass can never die from behind.
Ku, which means die connotes the inability for a cutlass to get blunt
from behind.

Ifa enjoins us all to always be mindful of Eyin, that is to say: we must

be mindful of everything we do today because it will become the past
for us when we die and that past will serve as the future for our
children after we have departed this world. There is a particular
phrase in Yoruba language that goes thus:

O se oju s’eyin

Meaning

He takes care of the present and the future

For instance in a stanza from Okanran Owonrin, Ifá says that we must
take care of our children who represent our present so that their future will
be good. Ifá explains further that every child must be given equal
opportunities in everything. Ifa emphasizes that if this is not done, both the
parents and the children shall live to have regrets, which of course may
spell doom for the future. In a stanza of Òkànràn-Àjàngbulè (Òkànràn
Òwónrín), Ifá says:
 Erin ló ni’gbó, erin ló ni’gbó

Ẹfòn ló l’òdàn, ẹfòn ló l’òdàn

Ohun tó ṣe erin tó ni’gbó

Tí kò jé kó leè ní’gbó mó

Ohun tó ṣe ẹfòn tó l’òdàn

Tí kò jé kó leè l’òdàn mó

Nnáà ló ṣe Àgbònrín Gìròdò

Ni kò jẹ kó ní’bùdó

Díá fún Òòṣàńlá Òṣèèrèmàgbò

TÍ ń re’bi

Tó mú Ojú ọmọ rè l’ówó

Tó fi Èyìn ọmọ rè sí’lè

Ẹbọ ni wón ní kó wáá ṣe…

Translation

Erin (the Elephant) is the owner of the forest region

ẸfòLn (the Buffalo) is the owner of the savannah region

What made the elephant, which once owned the forest

Lose possession of the forest region

What made the Buffalo, which once owned the savannah

Lose possession of the savannah region

It was exactly the same thing that turned Àgbònrín Gìròdò (the
Robust Deer)
Homeless without a permanent place of abode

These were the messages of Ifá to Òòṣàńlá ÒLṣèLèLrèLmàgbò

(Ọbàtálá)

When he took Ojú, his child along on a journey

And left ÈLyìn, his other child behind

He was advised to offer ẹbọ…

Ọbàtálá had two children. He showed everything he knew and

possessed to ÈLyìn but failed to draw Ojú close to himself.
Consequent upon this, Ojú was ignorant of all the things that his
father was doing and even all the things that his father loved and
hated. He also did not know for certain what really belonged to his
father. That was the way the situation was for a very long time.
Ọbàtálá saw nothing wrong with this situation at all. His belief was
that if Ojú ever needed to know anything at all, all he needed to do
was to contact ÈLyìn, his blood brother and he would be briefed
accordingly.

One day, Ọbàtálá planned to go on a long journey. He decided to

take Ojú along with him, just for a change. On their way, Ọbàtálá
got a divine message that he must appear in the presence of
Olódùmarè in order to go and prepare for another divine
assignment. He was told that he must leave immediately. Ọbàtálá
was told that he needed to prepare for 16 years in order to
succeed in this mission. He knew that there was no time to waste.
He told Ojú to return home. He assured Ojú that everything he
needed to learn had been taught to ÈLyìn. Ojú was told that he
would lack nothing since ÈLyìn would teach him all he needed to
know and take care of all his needs. With these assurances, Ojú
returned home, full of hope and expectations.

On getting home, he went straight to ÈLyìn’s house. When he got

there, nobody told him anything before he knew that something
was amiss. Everyone he met in the house was wearing sorrowful
looks on their faces. When they saw him, they all burst into tears,
weeping uncontrollably. In the end, they explained to him that
ÈLyìn, his only brother, was attacked by a wild animal that morning
and was torn to pieces. They informed him that the animal
dragged his corpse away for consumption! Ojú found it difficult to
believe that he was hearing them correctly. Maybe this disaster
had happened to someone else and not his brother. Maybe, just
maybe, there was a mistake somehow, somewhere. Maybe he
was just having a bad dream and someone would soon wake him
up from this nightmare. Maybe…

In the end, he came to accept the cold fact that he was on his
own, in the deep sea of life, rudderless, and without a compass.
He went to the elders in his community to assist him. To his
chagrin, they had been instigating others to appropriate his
father’s property. Whenever he complained, they would ask him to
show them the evidence that it really belonged to his father. Of
course, he had no evidence. That was how everything which
hitherto was his father’s belongings was taken over by those who
were once his father’s subordinates. He cried and cried.

One day, Ojú sat quietly in his father’s room, thinking about his
condition. He was totally convinced that if ÈLyìn had been alive, all
the injustice meted out to him would never have happened. On the
other hand, if his father had shown him all the things that he had
shown ÈLyìn, his brother; he certainly would have been able to
defend himself. He was still doing this when he slept off. In his
sleep, he had a dream. In this dream, he saw a big cat walking
majestically to and fro. Suddenly, the cat dropped dead. Two
people came and skinned the cat. The skin was spread in the sun
to dry. He then saw a tiny mouse. The mouse moved close to
where the cat’s skin was being dried in the sun. The mouse began
to nibble at the skin of the cat with relish!

He also saw a big leopard parading restlessly in the four corners

of the forest. All the animals in the vicinity were watching with awe
and respect from a distance. And just as in the case of the cat, the
leopard dropped dead. The same people who skinned the cat
came and skinned the leopard. They also spread the skin in the
sun to dry. Soon after this, he saw a dog which walked in and
quietly slept on the leopard’s skin! After this, Ojú woke up and
 understood his predicaments fully. He made his cry the cry of
shouting and made his ìyèrè the ìyèrè of lamentation, saying:

Èyìn ò sí mò o

Èkúté ilé f’awọ ìdí èse jẹ

Ajá mà mà ń f’awọ ẹkùn té sùn o

Translation

ÈLyìn is no more

Èkúté ilé (the Mouse) is eating a cat’s skin

A dog is sleeping on a leopard’s skin!

In the story above, Oju represents the present while Eyin represents the
future of Oju and the past of Obatala. We can see that Obatala
neglected Oju (the present) by not doing what needed to be done in
order to prepare Oju (the present) for the future. After his exit in the
world, there was no future again for Oju!!!!

8. Ojiiji (the shadow), the dark area produced by an object coming

between light rays and a surface. In Ifa, Ojiiji is the replica of our
essence that monitors all our actions and activities on earth.
Whatever we do is replicated by our Ojiiji, shadow and is always
there as a witness in favour of or against us before Olodumare on the
day we are to give our account of all our deeds while on earth.
According to a stanza in Oyeku logbe, Ifa says:
 Koko igi ni o beru ojo

Dia fun Olodumare Agotun

Oba at’aye ma tuu

Nijo to nlo ree da’ja ori omi

Tee ba d’aye

E ma gbagbe orun

Aye l’oja

Orun n’ile

E o ji’yin

E o j’abo

Ohun ti e ri

Translation

A tree knot fears no rain (alias of Orunmila)

He cast Ifa for Olodumare Agotun

The king who created the well-balanced earth that cannot be

broken up

When planning to establish a market on the waters

Behold, if you get to the earth

Do not forget heaven

Earth is but a market place

Heaven is our home

 You will all account for all your deeds

In most cases, it is our Ojiiji (shadow) that will answer most of the
questions posed to us when we are asked to give an account of all
our activities while on earth. There will be no chance for manipulation,
lies, exaggeration, withholding of information, or refusal to cooperate.
Even though Ojiiji is weightless and intangible, it is nonetheless an
integral part of Emi in human beings.